Bradenton man charged with trafficking, conspiring to traffic in heroin

MANATEE -- A man was arrested Friday on charges of setting up a sale of 12.6 grams of heroin to an undercover investigator in January, and trafficking in heroin in May 2014, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

On Jan. 7, investigators contacted Gabriel Fernandez, 24, by phone, saying they needed to get "stuff," meaning heroin, according to an arrest warrant.

Fernandez said it would be through his "boy," and the undercover investigator asked how much he would charge for a half-finger of heroin (about 5 grams). Fernandez said he didn't know.

The next day, the investigator texted Fernandez, saying no one had contacted him about the buy. Fernandez apologized and said he

had been busy.

On Jan. 9, a person who identified himself as Shawn called investigators, said he was Fernandez's boy and asked what they wanted, according to the warrant. Investigators said they wanted a finger of H ( about 10 grams of heroin). Shawn told them it would cost $1,300, or $1,200 per finger if they bought more than one.

"Shawn advised that he doesn't really deal with new customers, but that he would because I am a friend of a friend," investigators wrote in the warrant.

Shawn and investigators texted several times over the next few days to set up the deal. On Jan. 16, they agreed to meet at the Target store, 6150 14th St. W. in Bradenton. Shawn got into the undercover deputy's vehicle and pulled a tan bag out of his sock. The undercover agent handed him $1,300 and Shawn gave him about 12.3 grams of heroin, according to the warrant.

Shawn then got back into his own vehicle. The undercover agent ran the license plate and discovered Shawn's real name, which was redacted in the report.

Deputies followed Shawn to the Heavy Duty Barbershop in the 6500 block of 14th Street West where Fernandez had worked. Deputies reportedly saw Fernandez meet with Shawn.

Jeremy Jones, a barber at Heavy Duty Barbershop, said Fernandez has not worked there for roughly seven months.

"He hasn't worked here for a long time," Jones said Friday.

Less than a year earlier, acting on a tip heroin was being sold from the Heavy Duty Barbershop, an undercover agent met with Fernandez in the parking lot after arranging to buy a finger of heroin for $1,250, according to another arrest warrant. Fernandez drove into the barbershop parking lot and advised the agent to follow him to the T.J. Maxx at the corner of 14th Street West and Bayshore Gardens Parkway.

The investigator handed Fernandez $1,260, according to the warrant. Fernandez took the money and told the undercover to look in the glove box, where the investigator found 11.3 grams of heroin.

"Gabriel warned me that the stuff I had was very potent and that I should probably cut it," the investigator wrote in the warrant.

Fernandez has no prior criminal record in Manatee County.

Fernandez faces charges of trafficking in heroin and conspiring to traffic in heroin. He was held in the Manatee County jail on bonds totaling $150,000.

This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 12:05 AM with the headline "Bradenton man charged with trafficking, conspiring to traffic in heroin ."